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Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command on Monday morning fired teargas at protesters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The protesters had converged at the Isaac Boro Park when the officers stormed the area.
The protest was organized by the Take It Back Movement over the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.
Members of the organization were greeted by heavy police presence when they gathered at the protest venue as early as 9:00 am.
“Nobody can tell us where not to gather, we are Rivers people,” Channels TV reported young demonstrators shouting at policemen.
The Nigeria Police Force had advised the organizers to shelve their plans.
In other news, the Nigeria Police Force has advised the Take it Back Movement, TIB, and other organizers to shelve the planned nationwide protest scheduled for April 7.
The Eastern Updates reports that the civil society organisation and other groups have concluded plans to stage a nationwide protest on April 7.
The protest, according to the National Coordinator of TIB, Juwon Sanyaolu, is aimed at addressing issues surrounding the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act and the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.
However, the Nigeria Police in a statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, advised the organizers to “shelve this planned protest as it is ill-timed and mischievous”.
Adejobi said the scheduled date had been earmarked by the Federal Government as the National Police Day, “to celebrate the resilience and dedication of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force”.
